Yet Mr. Coburn’s involvement was always seen as fragile given his reputation as an independent thinker with little experience at compromise.

Just what you need in a leader...an inability to compromise. Perfect...what else?

Colleagues in recent days had wondered whether he would withdraw after a report from the Senate Ethics Committee on the conduct of former Senator John Ensign of Nevada implicated Mr. Coburn, a friend of Mr. Ensign’s, for helping to arrange controversial payments to the husband of Mr. Ensign’s former mistress. One controversy was enough without inviting more by reaching a bipartisan budget deal, the thinking went.

So, this guy and his constituents are such immoral assholes that a budget deal with the evil democrats is seen as just as bad as bald-faced corruption?

Ah, the GOP...where's your lowest low? Just when I think we're there...

-janelane